NEWNAN, GA (WXIA) — Police are investigating the stabbing of a pit bull inside a PetSmart Sunday. It happened in front of dozens of families with children during one of the advertised adoption days.

A volunteer with the Newnan-Coweta Humane Society was walking a pit bull named Clara. Clara managed to slip out of her collar and approached a smaller white Westie Terrier and was pulling on its ear, according to the police report.

"It is the worst thing I've ever seen," said Teresa Reeves, who was there with her fiancé, Mike Wohler. "We heard screaming at the front of the store and went running to see what was happening. The pit bull had the smaller dog at the back of the neck holding the loose skin and fur there."

That's when a number of witnesses say the owner of the dog, identified by police as Craig Emory, started yelling then pulled out a pocket knife and stabbed Clara several times.

"It didn't look like the dogs were even fighting, but [Emory] was pummeling the dog (...) then I realized he wasn't punching the dog. He was stabbing it," Wohler said.

Reeves recalls seeing blood "everywhere."

Wohler said he was able to pull the pit bull's mouth open and get the dogs separated as PetSmart employees ran over with a spray bottle and air horn. Employees later told police those are things they use when dogs get into fights in the store.

Clara had to be euthanized because of her injuries, according to several websites run by animal activists.

WXIA-TV reached out to PetSmart for a response on the incident. The company said, "Our top priority is the safety of pet parents and pets in our stores. We are working with the pet parent of the Westie to make sure it makes a full recovery."

But Reeves and Wohler insist that the Westie was fine and think Emory should face charges for what happened.

"You can't just walk into a floor and stab a dog in front of families and children," Wohler said.